Within some Protestant circles, a rediscovery and recovery of ancient, aesthetic forms of worship – candles, liturgy, icons and incense – have attracted believers who were tired of bland hymn-and-sermon services, or others who were equally tired of entertainment-driven worship, or others who were moved by their study of early Church teachings and practices. The rediscovery and recovery of liturgical worship has opened the door to other ancient practices, including the use of prayer beads.

The story behind the emergence of prayer beads within Protestant churches in the U.S.began in the 1980s, when “an Episcopal priest, the Reverend Lynn Bauman, and a group of parishioners studying contemplative prayer began to explore the age-old custom of praying with beads,” wrote Virginia Stem Owens.

She wrote that in the introductory essay to Praying With Beads: Daily Prayers for the Christian Year, co-authored with Nan Lewis Doerr and published by Eerdmans in late August of this year.

Owens and Doerr apparently experienced this form of prayer together. Owens wrote that Doerr, once assistant rector at Owens’ church, “taught a group of women who pray regularly for the sick and troubled of our parish how to use the beads to focus and hold our attention.”

With personal experience, study, and practice for references, Owens and Doerr have filled a small, 81-page book with prayers structured for beads. The prayers are divided into seasons, with brief explanations of the seasons before the prayers. Part of the introduction includes a labeled illustration of prayer beads, and another part walks the reader through holding beads and praying with them.

The introduction has a value beyond mere instruction in prayer, explaining as it does the history and value of prayer beads. This passage was especially striking:

During the Reformation, Luther did not abandon the rosary, though he shortened the Ave Maria to this form: “Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou and the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” In this way he eliminated the plea for Mary to pray for the supplicant. He advised his followers to use the rosary as an aid to meditation.

Another striking and valuable introductory passage addresses Jesus’ warning against vain repetition while praying (Matthew 6:7). Here Owens wisely divides the Word, noting that “it is vain, or useless, repetitions that Jesus cautions against. So the issue is keeping those repetitions from becoming mere meaningless syllables.” The deliberate focus of praying with beads can help slow us down, allowing us to absorb their meanings. “Similarly, reading and truly absorbing Scripture takes time,” Owens wrote.

Her introduction, I hope, will persuade some folks to consider praying with beads. The last page lists two books for further reading and six Web sites that sell prayer beads, providing a resourceful ending to a calm, enlightening primer on a practice that helps us be still and wait upon the Lord.